Target for a ball game



Aug. 10, 1948. c. ATH 2,446,702

TARGET FOR A BALL GAME;

Filed July 25 v 1945 $4, I N VEN TOR.

fififs 61 5279 7.

BY r

Patented Aug. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TARGET FOR A BALL GAME.

James 0. Heath, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 25, 1945, Serial No. 606,955

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to a rolling ball game or apparatus which, in certain respects, resembles the Well known game of bowling, and the principal object of my invention is, to provide a simple, easily played game involving a simple form of apparatus so as to provide an interesting and pleasing pastime for the players.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a game or plaything of the character referred to, that requires skill in the bowling of a ball or balls toward the objective or target and further to provide a game which may be made in various sizes so as to be conveniently played indoors on a table or floor, or outdoors on the smooth surfaced ground or pavement of tennis court or croquet grounds.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a form of my improved game apparatus designed for indoor play.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and showing a ball on the objective.

Fig, 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 and showing a modified form of the rails of the target or objective.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the objectives.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the means for anchoring the objective to the ground or pavement.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectional view of a modified form of the objective.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing and particularly to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, IE1 designates a base of wood, plastics or the like having a smooth fiat upper surface and of any suitable length and width.

Fig. 1 shows the base of sufficient width to form two parallel alleys II, II and by increasing the width of said base, additional alleys may be provided for the simultaneous use of several players.

Mounted on base [0 at the end of each alley is a target or objective, preferably formed in a single piece from wire, metal rod or narrow strip of sheet metal, the central portion of which is bent to form an open ring or loop [2 which serves as a seat for the ball when same comes to rest in the target.

This ring is slightly inclined with respect to a. horizontal plane and from the forward open end of said ring and the parts of the device between said ring and the ends, extend upwardly, rearwardly and thence downwardly and forwardly to form spirally curved members l3 which form a runway or track for the balls used in playing the game.

The space between these spirally curved members I3 gradually increases toward their ends and short portions M of the latter are extended downward into base l0, thus firmly anchoring the objective to said base. Those portions of the curved members l3 immediately adjacent the depending portions M are positioned so that their crown portions lie flush with the surface of the alley and thus the balls used in play, will roll from the surface of the alley onto the curved track members 23 without bumping or deflection.

Where the width of base [0 is such as to provide a plurality of alleys, the objectives are disposed in staggered arrangement on the ends of the alleys, that is, with the objective of one alley located at the opposite end of the next adjacent alley, and thus ample playing space is provided for the players.

Where the game is produced in smaller sizes for indoor use, the spherical members [5 bowled toward the objectives, may be marbles, golf balls, tennis balls or base balls and on the outdoor or larger alleys, said members may be as large as croquet balls or bowling balls.

On alleys formed on level ground or pavement such as croquet grounds, tennis courts or the like, the depending portions M of the objectives are inserted in the upper portions of stakes such as l6, driven into the ground or pavement, so that their upper ends are flush with the surface of said ground or pavement (see Fig. 6)

In Fig. 7 I have shown the objective or target in the form of a channel and composed of sheet metal, plastics or wood.

In playing the game, the ball is bowled lengthwise of the alley, in an endeavor to cause said ball to ride up the curved members l3 of the objective and to come to rest in loop l2, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 4, and the accomplishment of such result requires considerable skill in aiming at the objective and regulating the degree of speed imparted to ball, for if same is bowled with too much speed, it may bounce out of the ring or loop l2 after having entered same. A score is given to each player who bowls a ball so that it traverses the curved portion of the objective and comes to rest in the ring or loop [2.

double to form a pair of laterally spaced rails V which curve forwardly and upwardly, thence downwardly and the central portion of said. strip of material terminating in a substantially horizontally disposed loop located below the curved upper portions of said rails and which loop is adapted to receive and hold a ball after same has traversed the curved portions of said rails.

JAMES C. HEATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 484,087 Colell Oct. 11, 1892 1,615,218 Dupuis Jan. 25, 1927 1,972,587 Fairchild Sept. 4, 1934 2,101,188 Orcutt Dec. 7, 1937 2,237,748 Schwarzenger Apr. 8, 1941 

